Rollable game piece



Nov. 18 19412 J. GORTNER ROLLABLE GAME PIECE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1939 1nvenior JoH/v GORT/VER,

By M

Attorneys Nov. 18, 1941. J. GORTNER ROLLABLE GAME PIECE Filed Feb. 21, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnv entor JOHN GORTNER A itorneys Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATEN O 2,262,891 I MROLIJABLE GAME PIEQE I I Y John Gortner, S hamokim Pa. Y Application ran-nary 21, 19s9',seiia1No. 257,732 "6f'( 3lai m's (Cl. 273-138) This invention relates to that classification of amusement accessories and equipment'such as rollable dice, special rollable die units, tumbling objects, spheres and the like, and the principal purpose of the invention is to provide, what is believed to be an innovation inthisline of on deavor in the nature of auniqueespecially constructed and marked or otherwise charted roll-1 able die.

In reducing to practice the principles of the inventive concept, I have evolved and brought into being what is believed to be an ingenious object or game-piece, the same being in the nature of a self-righting body of spherical-or equivalent geometrical shape so'that it will revolve,

steady and right itself to occupy a substantially still upright'position, whereby to clearly reveal uncontrollable; tallying and scoring means. 4

I aim to improve upon certain known prior art game pieces and the like by providing one which is structurally distinct, distinguishable embodi ments being utilized to illustrate the generic principle, and one form being characterized by a rela-, tively rotatable element within the main revolve;

able element, the same being structurally made and designed in. such a way-as to provide the aforementioned indeterminate results.

An outstanding feature and object is to provide a spherical body, the same 'having a properly weighted self-righting base and a companion I capping shell, the latter being transparent to per mit the final tell-tale result to be yisibly seen at a glance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unique base and shell assembly, the shell being provided with what may be called an internally In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of one embodiment or form of the invention as constructed in accordance with my specific ideas.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view.

Figure-4, is a top plan view of the base or bot: tom part-section. Figure 5 is a diagrammatic v'iew showing the, functioning of the internal ball diverter knob or member. Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail View showingthe method in which the glass shell and base, may" beradj'oined v a L ,3

Figure 7 is ,a central vertical section through a modification showing the internal relatively rotatable turn-table. j 1 Figure 8 is a horizontal section on the line[8+8. of Figure *1. Figure 9 is a View similar to Figures 3 and? showing a further modification T utilizing anti friction balls between the base member and turntable. J a z 1 Figure 10 is a top plan view of the base and turntable assembly, the shell being'omitted for clearnessof illustration. I I '1]. Attention is directed firstto Figureslto '6'v of the-drawings. The game-piece as a 'whole is de-i noted bythe numeral I I. 'As stated, this is pref erably spherical, although it maybe of some Y other equivalent configuration. The pa'rt-spheri.

cal base section I 2 is of wood or any other'suit able material, This is provided at. the center' of its bottom with a counterrweigh't I3 having a stem or plug I4 projecting into an accommodation socket in the part I21 This stem I4 is jprovided with a screw-threaded sockettoj accommodate" the screw-threaded endv I5 of'a' rod orjbolt I6. This part I6 has a head I! v which serves. to hold in place the part-sphericaljglass or trans parent capping shell I 8. Thus, the bolt serves to secure the parts I2 and I8 in assembled relation. The marginal peripheral portion I9 of the base member is beveled and inclined toward thecen ter, to facilitate discharging the indicator balls 20 into the segmental circumferentially spaced, pockets or recesses 2|. In. this arrangement, as before indicated, there is a knob-like device 22' which may be conveniently referred to as a di verter and this has a stem23 attached to the crown portion of the glass shell and carrying. an internal disk-like bafile andball casting head or flange 24.

It is to be understood that the top face of the base member I2 is properly colored and divided into segmental sectors, these being provided with indicia. In the arrangement depicted numerals are employed to designate the difierent sectors and the numerals may be in any predetermined order of arrangement. Ordinarily thereare two balls 20 used within. thisso-called. rollable die.

In practice it is held in the hand and cast on a table-or other fiat surface where it is allowed to tumble and roll haphazardly, all depending on the force imparted to the throw. As the device grad ually comes to a stand-still, the balls roll, jump and otherwise move within the confines of the transparent shell, at times rolling on the marginal runway or track [9' and at other times bobbing and jumping in and out of the pockets. When th devicje' finally comesto astanasmn the upright position seen in Figure 3 the balls finally lodge themselves in the'numbered pockets so that the results can be visibly determined andcalculated. As before stated, as the device be comes inverted as seenin phantom lines iii Fig"-' playing side is of course suitably colored and calibrated and marked, this being a somewhat immaterial phase of the invention. The underside of the turn-table is provided with a socket to receive the assembling stem or shank 45 on the base member 31. The base member is here provided with a recess or depression 46 to accommodate antifriction balls 41. By interposing the balls between the respective parts 37 and 4|, free rotation of the latter is insured; v

It is understood that the rules and regulations for using a game piece of this type will'vary.

ure 5, the intercepter and diverter 22. co'me'slinto"v play to cause the balls to be thrownby centrifu a force out toward the marginal limits and s'o'me hQa i On r c ur diver ifie e din terminable and hence no particular motion can be t b is the ind at a iy t i thec a ti elem ntshow 2... is s ch.

as to develop unexpected and substantially;

controlled results. Thus these features' have ee 9ga iiz w th a. vi wfi a d- Pr m fair play and, to some extent, allowing skill'to oughto be rede in d. re u be challenged in order to. obtain what may be It is obvious that in the arrangement the upper and lower sectionsforinihg ,thecon tainer are fixedly adjoined together but under certain conditions it is desirable to. add'.. a furth,er eatur That s t sa' cin, the. arr n mentseen in Eigures Z and and 9 and 10, the baseportion is of two-part construction.

The rollable game-piece inEigure 7 is diiiferene tia d b h nu 1.5.1 This includes apart;

spherical glass or transparentshell. 26. having an internal projection 21. forming a bearing for a spindle or ,p'1 n-28. The lower end ofthe spindle is journaledf forgrotation in abearing socket in the. w ighted element 29..- The latter pa t, 2 is mountedlsecurely ifn, the...,co'm anion'.concaved memberjll. That is, thgmembermt fl.is'concavoeonvex and the cavity serves to ,acco'mmodate the turn table I 3 l .1, 'Ij he'v turn-table has 1 a1 Lniarginal periphery or edge 32, which coac'ts' with; the fad;

.what in the direction of the arrows in Figure. 3.

- ent shell cqfinected thereto, a bolt securing the base member and shell in" assembled'relation, the;

jacent'poncentric edge 33 ofv thebasemember These concentric marginal edges. function as rela,-' tivelystationary and movabletracks orrunways.

Thomas, shown. in Figure 8, theparts. are ;.propercolored and. calibrated .to. obtain variable. scor; ing rcs ults Furthermore, the turn-table has re; cessesnr pocketsv for final landing of the' indicator'balls,,.(not shown. in this view) v ltlispbvious thatwith the (construction. j st describedjthe mainpbject is revolvable while the.

t turnrtableisrotatable in relationthereto....This' provides an ingenious planetary. action.,wl iich. is desirable in a g'ame-piec e of this character.

Fundamentally, the same. rudimentary prinoipl e .is involved, in Fi guresQ and .,10 where a res.

volvable, gamepiece. 35., is depicted. Here again; We ar th and the part-spherical bottom section 31... It'will be noted. thatthecentral portion. of the shell. is thikne'd' as at..38,ahelium)vi'ded withan' annular flange. 39. having a groove for receptionof area tention beador rib carried. on the base menu be .31. T i fi'l fl. or'ms n r an 'i li h d. 111. 2 29. th f e lt n a able tum-ta l 1- The turn-table provided with. a evel d new.

e nal' r 1 .q per phery 92. ball-rec iv ng pbckias; 43 and a central circular protuberance 44. The

transparent part-spherical s'hellQBfi,

Moreover, in the absence of seeing the device it-' self, the, motions and movements of the respective partscannot be sufiiciently described to be precisely visualized. It is believed, however, that thedisclosure, is sufficient to give some idea of the captivating result obtainable with a rollable die or game-piece of the type disclosed.

It is thought that the description taken in connection with the drawings will enable a clear un ersta ding of the invention to" be had.

Therefore, a more lengthy description is tnd'giit' unnecessary.

While" the pr-eferred embodime'nt of the in'ven-l tion has been shown and described, it is to be uridrsitoOdthat minor changes coming Within to the field of inventionclaimed maybe resorted if desired. v

I'claim:

1.;A game piece of the class described com' 'j' prising a base, the normal top side thereof being provided with a marginal runway and centralized circumferentially spaced ball-receiving pockets,

a part-spherical transparent shell mounted on said base, and internal means carried by said shell and located on the crown portion' thereof, said means being in the form of a flanged ball deflecting diverter. I 1

I 2; In a game device-of the class described, a'

weighted self-righting base mem er, at ansparsliell' being provided on'its crown portion with'a depending neck having a flanged diverter head;

hollow spherical body of a rollable self-righting character, said body comprising a semi-spherical base portion and a complemental semi-spherical "capping shellv portion, the .portions being'opera tively connected with each other, the capping portion, being transparent, the base portion being non-transparent, the. internal. normaltop .surfaceof said base portion having concentric-pen:

tralized circumferentially spaced ball receiving pockets the marginal portion of .said surface being inwardly beveled and constituting an an-: nular ball accommodating runway, said runway.

having ,unobstructed. merging communication with said ball receiving pockets. V 5. A game-piece of a rollable self-righting type comprising .a spherical hollow body and a turn-table freely mounted for idling rotation therein, said hollow body being partly transparrespectively to facilitate assein ent and partly non-transparent, and said turntable being provided with an inwardly beveled marginal annulus forming a ball accommodating runway, and that portion of the table concentrically and inwardly of said annulus having a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions constituting ball receiving pockets, the juncture of the area between the runway and pockets being smooth and unobstructed to facilitate unimpeded lodging of the balls in said pockets in the manner and for the purposes described.

6. A rollable game-piece of the class described comprising a hollow spherical body of a selfrighting character, said body including a concave-convex base section the normal upper edge of which is bevelled radially and inwardly, a weighted member incorporated in the central part of the normal bottom portion of said section, and a semi-spherical capping shell section, the sections being operatively connected in assembled relationship, the capping section being transparent and the base section being nontransparent, a turn-table located within the confines of the concavity of said base section, the marginal wall thereof having a bevelled edge coordinated with the first-named bevelled edge and the concentric central upper face being provided with ball receiving pockets, a perpendicular spindle piercing the central portion of said turntable, the lower end of the spindle being journalled for rotation in said weighted member, and the upper end journalled for rotation in a bearing provided in said capping shell.

JOHN GORTNER. 

